


Under The Magnolia Tree

by LunarSinner



Series: Holidays [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mother's Day, Prepare your emotions, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-24 06:38:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1595282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarSinner/pseuds/LunarSinner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Mother's Day, and before Sansa and Sandor head off to dinner with the Stark family...Sandor takes her to a special place, one he hasn't been to in a very long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under The Magnolia Tree

**Author's Note:**

> I cried while writing this, it was really hard to write but I hope you all enjoy.  
> Even if someone has passed on, they still live on through our hearts and memories.  
> <3  
> The church I described if anyone wants to see it, here's the link to some photos:  
> http://www.kylemoreabbeytourism.ie/galleries/gothic-church/

Sansa adjusted herself, moving to lean against the arm rest instead of sitting straight up. Her legs had fallen asleep and her rear end was feeling sore from sitting in a car for almost two hours. Sandor drove as she sat next to him in the passenger seat. He was silent as usual, but his body was tense. He kept biting at the skin near his thumb nail, making himself bleed. When he finally had enough of biting his thumb, he moved on to his pointer finger. When she had turned on the radio about an hour ago, he turned it off.  
He wanted peace, he wanted it to be quiet to he could gather his thoughts and pull himself together before they reached their destination.

It was Mother’s Day, licking at her lips softly Sansa looked out the car window and stared at the passing trees. They were to be eating dinner with her family later tonight, but as for the rest of the day; well, Sandor wanted to take her to visit his mother’s resting place.

He grunted, the ruined side of his face twitched wildly as he flipped on the blinker. Making a left turn Sansa looked at the French Gothic styled church to her right. The church was beautiful, the stained glass shined brightly against the dark colors of the roof and the stoned walls. Sansa sat up and smiled at Sandor, he nodded at her as he drove past the church but he didn’t smile back at her.

He was nervous, a bundle of emotions ready to explode. The last time he visited his mother’s grave site was years ago. Feeling guilty for not coming sooner; he was angry with himself, but he had his little bird with him. He had decided a few weeks ago that he would take her to this place, to show her what she really meant to him. He was a man of few words, and he wanted to show her this. He wanted her to realize that no one else besides him, his dead father and the people who worked for the church only knew about this place.

But this was turning out to be harder than he thought, all of the suppressed memories from his past kept bubbling up to the surface. He fought them back as hard as he could, but the closer he drove to the grave site, the more his eyes burned.

“Is this where Elder Brother works?” Sansa asked while pointing towards the church. Sandor nodded, swallowing back his emotions. He wasn’t able to speak, and was terrified that if he did open his mouth nothing good would come out. He pulled over to the side of an ironed gate, sniffing once and glancing down at his lap.

Sansa had picked out flowers to place at his mother’s grave from her own garden; a few small white roses, two red tulips, she had clipped all of her tiger lilies and brought them knowing orange was Sandor’s mother’s favorite color. Lastly, she brought a few purple, red, and pink dahlias. The flowers were tied in a baby blue silk ribbon in the back seat. They smelled wonderful and Sandor couldn’t explain the emotion he felt when he saw Sansa carrying them to the car before they left their house they rented.

He was shocked, he was happy, and upset. Upset because he flower garden looked bare, but happy that she cared so much for putting so much thought into this for him, and for his mother. His cheeks puffed as he sighed, he was about to start shaking his head but a light touch on his right arm startled him. Looking up he saw Sansa smiling at him softly, she rubbed his arm and leaned over to kiss his cheek. He wasn’t sure if she was trying to encourage him or give him comfort, maybe both knowing his little bird.

Gathering up his courage, he unbuckled his seat belt and opened up his car door, Sansa doing the same but as she got out of the car she opened up the door to the back seat and puller out her bouquet of flowers. She took a deep breath while closing her eyes, enjoying the scent of her flowers. Sandor stood by the gate and glanced around at the graves and the tombstones. Most looked new, and reflected the sunlight, some had large crosses or even stone angels. Sandor frowned as he felt his eyes burn, he swallowed a lump in his throat as he lost himself in his memories.

When they buried her Sandor was twelve years old, his little sister clung to his hand tightly crying hysterically for the loss of their mother. She was nothing but a child at the time, but besides him being a child as well, he felt like he needed to be strong for his mother. Just like how she was strong for him when Gregor burned him. He was angry at his father for bringing his little sister, Audrey who was six, to watch as they laid their mother’s coffin into the ground. His father was stone cold that day, he didn’t cry, he didn’t look angry, he just looked like a broken man. They said it was an accident; but Sandor knew better, he learned from experiences that accidents just don’t happen in his family. He once glared at Gregor who was fifteen at the time, his devil of a brother grinned wickedly back at him. He didn’t believe for one second that the brakes of her car just busted, he believed someone cut them purposely and he knew exactly who did it. 

A small warm and soft hand wrapped around his large calloused one, his body tensed at the sudden touch as he was snapped out of the past and into the present. “Is it nearby?” She whispered and he shook his head, finding his voice he rasped out quietly, “No, my father picked out the best place he could for her. It’s quite a walk.”

“That’s alright.” She smiled brightly up at him and leaned over to wrap her arm around his waist. He looked around once more and noticed a few other couples where walking around, either carrying flowers or walking back to the main gate while tears dripped down their faces. He sighed and started to walk forward, leading Sansa down a dirt path. She held onto his hand in a firm and gentle grasp, her thumb would rub his tanned skin occasionally.  
In the silence, Sandor’s thoughts start to once again drift away. After the funeral he had brought up his suspicions to his father about Gregor, but his father ignored him. He drank himself into oblivion, his second born son was burned when he was six by his older brother and then his wife of seventeen years dies in a tragic accident. It was a lot for the old man to take in, and one night Sandor was awoken by the sound of a gunshot. Audrey was screaming, she was the second to find the body, and Sandor was the third. Gregor stood over their father’s corpse grinning like a mad man, blood and bone particles oozed on the walls. Audrey screamed and tried to attack Gregor, but Sandor held her back. He told her to run, run far away.

_He remembered hearing her screaming and crying, and her footsteps running out of the house._

_He remembered hearing the sound of a car screeching as it slammed on the brakes._

_He remembered hearing a loud thump and a man screaming for someone to call nine one one._

_He remembered Gregor howling with laughter, and his own roar of anger and anguish as he attacked Gregor._

His lips twitched as he shook his head, the police declared that their father had committed suicide, and that Audrey was killed by someone hitting her with their car. Sandor let out a deep growl; it was his fault his sister was killed, he was the one who told her to run. That was one death that he could never get over because he was to blame and the one thing he regretted in life.

Stopping in his tracks Sandor turned to look at a large magnolia tree, it’s pink and white flowers blossomed and danced in the breeze. A few petals already fell at the grass covered ground. Three graves lay underneath the large tree.

He walked forward, his little bird by his side still holding his hand. Her grip became tighter as they stood in front of the three graves. He glanced at her and saw that her bottom lip was trembling, her eyes were red and filled with tears. Grunting he turned back to the graves, he wasn’t here to see his father’s or his sister’s but he still ran his hands over the tombstones while biting down on his bottom lip until he tasted blood.

His mother’s grave laid in the middle of his father’s and sister’s. Hers was at the base of the trunk and said, **“Here Lies Amelia Clegane Loving Wife And Loving Mother, May You Rest In Peace.”** As he fell to his knees and swallowed another lump of emotions down, his body shook with unwanted silent sobs. “Hello Mother.” He rasped out, he felt a light touch on his back. Sansa rubbed up and down slowly, he could hear her crying beside him as she sat down next to him. Fighting back his tears, he spoke again, “I know I haven’t been here in a long time like the bloody bastard I am.” He chuckled as he felt Sansa swat his arm, “But I want you to meet someone.” His bottom lip twitched and he cleared his throat, “I hope where ever you are that you’re happy. You deserve happiness; you, Father, and little Audrey.”

Sansa took a deep breath before sniffing, she continued to rub his back but leaned heavily against him as she cried. “I miss you, and not a day goes by where I don’t think of you Mother.” Sandor choked back on a sob and blinked as a few tears ran down his face. He moved quickly away from Sansa to stand up, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger he closed his eyes and started to walk away to collect his emotions, he didn’t want to break down, not now.

Sansa watched as her love walked away, she knew he needed space so she didn’t call after him. Instead she faced Amelia’s grave and set her bouquet of flowers down. She smiled and wiped away the tears off of her cheeks. “I heard you liked orange,” Sansa licked her lips as a breeze gently blew by, her hair gently flowed in the wind. “I wanted to say…I wanted to thank you for bringing such a man like Sandor into this world. He’s a great man.” Sansa let out a sob and shook her head, her fingers fidgeted in her lap, “You must be so proud of who he’s become; he’s strong, he’s gentle, he’s very caring. He’s one of the most important people in my life.” Sansa giggled and looked at the two other graves, “I dearly wish we could have met in person, Sandor told me once that you cooked the best pot roast.” Sansa looked up at the magnolia flowers and smiled, “Happy Mother’s Day Amelia.” Sansa kissed her fingers and then touched Amelia’s gravestone. 

Sansa stood up and starred at the grave until she felt Sandor stand behind her. He pressed a hand into her back and just left it there, “Want some time alone with her?” Sansa sniffed and looked up at Sandor. He shook his head, “No little bird, I’d rather you stay with me.” He choked out and sighed. Walking closer to the grave Sansa smiled as he smiled at the tombstone. “I love you Mother.” Sandor then groaned as he stood up, he nodded, “I promise to come visit more often,” He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, “Happy Mother’s Day…Give Audrey a kiss for me, would you?” He smiled softly. Turning to walk back to Sansa he watched as a flower petal fell from the tree and gently swayed back and forth until it landed on his right shoulder. Sansa giggled as he reached up to pick up the petal, it felt soft between his fingers.

“We can keep it, let it dry and place it near one of her photos.” Sansa suggested and Sandor smiled at her, “Aye we could do that.” Holding the petal in one hand and Sansa’s hand in the other, they both walked back to Sansa’s car. Hearing Sansa clear her throat as they got into the car he looked over to her, “I know what you were thinking this whole time.” She whispered and he frowned.

“Oh?” He placed the flower petal in a cup holder for safe keeping before starting up the car. “I could see it written all over your face Sandor…You were thinking of what Gregor did to them.” She whispered out, carefully picking out her words. Sandor didn’t reply but clenched the steering wheel. Instead of telling him that he needs to think about happy times with his mother, she smiled at him; “Do you think your mother would have liked my pot roast?”

Sandor smirked and leaned into his seat, “Honestly little bird? Fuck no. She would have told you that it’s too dry and needs more salt, and she probably wouldn’t let you in her kitchen. Well maybe to help peel some potatoes….But she wouldn’t let you cook, too afraid you might screw something up.”

Sansa gasped, “Oh…I don’t know how I could have handled that.” She blushed and Sandor howled with laughter, “She was a nice woman, but always brutally honest and hated liars.”

“Just like you?” She asked while watching Sandor turn back onto the highway.

“Aye just like me, who in the bloody hell did you think I got it from?” Sandor winked at her, “She would have loved you, just not your cooking.”

“Oh…Good thing I’m not cooking tonight then.” Sansa huffed and Sandor laughed, “Don’t worry little bird, I love your cooking.” 

“Yeah, but you would eat anything! You like Arya’s cooking for crying out loud!” Sansa cried out while laughing along with him. After their laughter died down Sandor kept glancing at Sansa, “I’m glad you came with me little bird.” He smiled, feeling his scars twitching, she smiled back at him. “Me too….You think maybe we can plant a magnolia tree in our back yard? You know…Near my flower garden?”

Sandor raised his eyebrow, surprised by this request. He licked his lips and nodded slowly, “Aye…That we can little bird.”


End file.
